David Byrne's travel diaries illuminate the amazing power dislocating oneself from one's homebase has on the senses. His work sends him to cities in the US and around the world, and the visits are anything but passive. Byrne, aided by the perspective of observing life slowly and closely on his bike, considers how people live in their cities. His writings include careful readings of each place as well as his own deft research. —Recommended by Stacey, City Lights Books

Urban bicycling has become more popular than ever as recession-strapped, climate-conscious city dwellers reinvent basic transportation. In this wide-ranging memoir, artist/musician David Byrne-who has relied on a bike to get around New York City since the early 1980s-relates his adventures as he pedals through an engages with some of the world's major cities. From Buenos Aires to Berlin, he meets a range of people both famous and ordinary, shares his thoughts on art, fashion, music, globalization, and the ways that many places are becoming more bike-friendly. Bicycle Diaries is an adventure on two wheels conveyed with humor, curiosity, and humanity.